Avoid and prevent buying a forgery

The last years in my practise I increasingly meet Stratocaster owners who are not aware that they purchased a forgery. Disappointment afterwards frequently occurs....

Roughly said there are two ways in which shady characters counterfeit Stratocasters:

Changing original parts for non-original parts. For instance changing the original Fender usa body for a made in Mexico or a Squier body. And the second way is changing parts for other original Fender parts which do not belong to that type of Stratocaster. These guitars are further sold as another, more expensive, type of Stratocaster. For instance respraying a Highway one with the vintage tremolo replaced for an American Series tremolo. These Strats are sold as American Series, while it is a "dressed" Highway one.

Also known is that there are unreliable traders who deliberatly sell Highway one Stratocasters for American Standards or American Series. They make use of buyers which are often both too eager and have lack of knowledge. Remember that "American Standard" or "American Series" has nothing to do with the fact that they are "made in usa". It is just the name of that type of Stratocaster. And yes the Highway one is a more than excellent "made in usa" Stratocaster. But, it is not an "American Series"........

So before you buy, make an appointment and let me examinate the Fender Stratocaster you are willing to purchase, before you actually purchase it.

Vintage type made in usa tremolo. All highway One type Stratocasters have this type tremolo. Note the six screws directly mounted into the wood. Distance from outer screw to outer screw (heart to heart distance) is always 57 millimetre. This type of tremolo NEVER exists on American Standard and American Series Stratocasters. The name FENDER is stamped in two different directions.

American Standard and American Series tremolo unit. Note that it has only two bolts into two 10 millimetre diameter metal bushings. So American Series Strat bodies have two drilled 10 millimetre holes which hold the metal bushings. The heart to heart space is also 57 millimetres. The adjustmentscrews are excentric. The outer edge which holds the adjustment screws is continuous.

Squier tremolo unit. Note the differences with the original Fender tremolo unit above. The outer edge is not continuous with centric adjustment screws. Also has different shaped saddles.

Made in Mexico vintage tremolo unit. It is original Fender, but clearly different than the usa vintage tremolo. Has a lighter sustain block and it does not fit on made in usa bodies. The space between the 1st and 6th mounting screws is NOT 57, but 54 millimetres. Each saddle has twice the name FENDER. In the case of Mexican saddles they point into the same direction.

Made in Mexico Standard Stratocaster tremolo from the nineties. This unit is from 1995. Original Fender, only seen on Mexican made Stratocasters. Mountingscrew spacing is 54 millimetres.